Men's rugby won its third consecutive CRC championship with four straight victories at the CRC May Madness Sevens event May 30-31 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
With COVID ruining any chance at a national championship last year, the Lions were eager to compete at a major tournament for the first time since 2019. A new look sevens squad that had turned over 75 percent of the roster since claiming that last title, willed its way to a national championship and the 2021 Pete Dawkins Trophy, outscoring four opponents by a total of 125-31.
With little time to train due to a late season quarantine, Lindenwood had to create rapport quickly through a strong core of players while periodically injecting some sevens first-timers. Score lines aside, early mistakes frustrated the Lions as they struggled to create continuity and possession.
On the other side of the bracket, Life University loomed large with nearly flawless performances and massive margins of victory. A strong management team and solid schedule provided the Lions with an opportunity to improve while defeating Louisiana 29-10 and Notre Dame College 48-0 on Sunday.
Junior
Cian Darling from Ireland credited preparation for the team's CRC success.
"Personally I think the preparation of our team is a massive part of how we won the tournament," he said. "From our incredible athletic trainer
Matt Bowden to all the boys who weren't picked, but kept their enthusiasm high, helping out whether it meant spraying us down or providing water and wet towels. In some cases,
Ty Nelson coming to mind, it meant literally convincing me that I had another play in me during the final. I was gassed. Their energy kept me and the boys motivated.
"The team effort and unique camaraderie we have at Lindenwood with the analytical mindset of our coaching staff won this well-earned victory in New Orleans!"
As day two approached on Monday, there were murmurs in the stadium that a Lindenwood versus Life rematch of the 2019 CRC was quickly approaching. Davenport, however, refused to be overlooked in the semifinal.
Frustrating defense from the Panthers put the referee between a rock and a hard place and Lindenwood was left holding the bag. Late in the first half, Davenport had Lindenwood pressed in their own half, causing a desperate kick from
Connor Burns. Desperation turned to elation when
Evan Williams, well on his way to tournament MVP honors, outraced the Panthers coverage to scoop up the loose ball and score.
In the second half, Davenport answered immediately through a long stage of possession. To counter,
2021 Rudy Scholz Winner for collegiate Player of the Year
Emmanuel Albert and Nick Hardrict II created thunder and lightning along the right sideline to put Davenport away 24-7.
With a quick turnaround before the championship match, the Lions barely had time to grab a quick smoothie and some minivan air conditioning time before reviewing some video.
Prior to the final, doubt about the Lions ability to prepare was swirling through the stadium. Captain
Marnus Spangenberg addressed those feelings.
"Headed into the final, there were plenty of people questioning if we were able to train hard enough between quarantine and the tournament," he said. "As the whistle blew, none of that mattered. Our coaches drilled into us that if we stick to our training, we will win."
The Lions came in with a clear plan to defeat the odds-on favorite Running Eagles: Starve them of possession by winning restarts and holding the ball while aggressively taking away space on defense to frustrate the opponent attack.
Confidence was high until the first whistle when a restart barely slipped through the fingers of
Connor Burns and was taken the other way to a near Life try. Despite the best efforts of the Lions, Life touched down under the posts and converted to an early 7-0 lead.
After the ensuing kickoff,
Coleson Warner broke the line for Lindenwood with some fancy footwork before sending the ball wide to Albert, who managed to stay on his feet long enough to put
Evan Williams sliding into the corner to close the gap to two points.
Shortly after, the Lions stole a restart to begin a brutal five-minutes of play with four changes in possession and both teams stretching themselves to the limit. The passage would take the teams nearly two minutes past the half time siren as Darling scooped up an errant Life kick and fed Stephin Alberts to score in the corner and give Lindenwood the lead at the intermission.
After winning the restart at half time, the Lions went on a six-phase tear, demanding much of the Running Eagle defense. Darling, staggered the cover, beating four defenders and set up Warner who threw a big step in the middle of the field and touched down underneath the posts.
With the score now 17-7 and a mere six minutes to play, Lindenwood substitutes entered the match in force with aggressive pace and physicality to snuff out the aspirations of Life.
Evan Conlon sped around the pitch, closing down inside options while
Clarence Ekoume-Bienes forced Life carriers into touch.
The final blow for the Lions came with ball in hand after a looping
Shiven Dukhande splashed into the try zone after a nice offload from Conlon.
The Running Eagles did score a consolation try at the whistle, but Lindenwood claimed a 24-14 victory and a third straight Pete Dawkins Trophy.
Evan Williams, an ace restart kicker with a motor to match, took home MVP honors as the Lions top tournament scorer. Just a junior, the fly half reflected on his long road to such fireworks.
"I'm so grateful to have received this award," he began. "Ever since I was too small to play for my hometown team, I've been on a mission to regain my confidence and prove them wrong. Moments like these make the extra work worth it. Me and my teammates are not finished yet."
With the four tournament victories, the Lions extended their sevens winning streak to 28 games, the last loss coming four years ago on June 4, 2017. The future looks bright for the Lindenwood sevens squad, with all but one of the 15-man tournament roster returning to school in the fall.
